Runaway Karura
by NalaxSimba
Summary: When Lady Karura, daughter of Arashi Himura, turns sixteen and becomes of marrying age, her father arranges her in a marriage to the Third Kazekage's successor, Lord Rasa. However, Karura isn't the type of girl to sit by and watch as her life is decided for her. When she meets Baki, she decides that it's time for her to take charge of her life.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My school put on a performance of **_**Romeo and Juliet **_**a few days ago, and it inspired me to write this! **_**Romeo and Juliet **_**is my favourite play and Baki/Karura is my favourite couple, so I knew I had to do it with this couple! I think this is the only Baki/Karura fanfic out there…  
>World: AU – However, there are still Kages and ninjas.<br>Notes: Because there are hardly any Sunagakure ninja who we know of, some ninja from the other village will be in Suna to play certain roles.  
>Disclaimer: I do now own Naruto or any songs that I may use.<br>**

* * *

><p><em>Shout out from the bottom of my lungs<br>A plague on both your houses  
>This thing, it's a family affair<br>It's drawing out my weakness  
><em>- Bastille, Driver

"Good morning, darling!"

Karura Himura opened an eye as a familiar voice echoed through her room. She sat up, pulling the blanket up with her and wrapping it around herself.

"Good morning, Mother." Karura greeted, bowing her head in respect to her mother. Her mother chuckled, ruffling her daughter's hair.

"Happy birthday, my sweet." Her mother pulled her daughter into an embrace. Karura returned the embrace, smiling as she smelt her mother's perfume.

Karura loved her mother dearly. She'd always been a mommy's girl, much to her father's dismay. When she was younger, she didn't go anywhere without her mother. Now, while she was still her mother's little girl, she was much more outgoing, always willing to meet new people.

"Where's Dad and Yashamaru?" Karura asked, pulling away from her mother's hug. As if on cue, her bedroom door swung open.

"Happy birthday, Karu!"

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!"

Karura chuckled as her brother and father joined her and her mother on her bed. "Thanks, Yashamaru, Dad."

Her father chuckled as he wrapped an arm around his wife, kissing her cheek gently. He then turned to face his daughter.

"I guess you know about what will happen now you're sixteen?"

Karura faked a smile, "Yeah. Now that I'm of marrying age, I must try to find a suitor."

Her father smiled. "Exactly. You're taking it better than your mother did – for weeks, she cried and cried, until I waltzed into her life!"

"Don't flatter yourself, Arashi," her mother chuckled. "I had plenty of other suitors in mind before I met you."

Arashi held a hand to his heart in mock-hurt, "My dear Keiko, why do you wound me so?"

Karura chuckled as she watched her parents. After years of marriage they still acted like newlyweds.

Keiko – remembering her kids were still in the room – pulled away from her husband as a blush made its way on her face. "Uh…I'm going to go make you a birthday breakfast!" Keiko grinned, ruffling her daughter's hair as she walked away.

Arashi also chuckled, "I'll go help your mother." He said, kissing his daughter's head as he walked away, "We'll call you when your breakfast is ready, sweetheart."

Karura watched them leave, before turning to the window.

"Our parents are crazy," Yashamaru chuckled, before turning to his sister. "Hey, what's wrong Karura?"

Karura sighed, "Why must I get married, Yashamaru? Why can't I marry someone I've met, who actually loves me for me, when I want to do it?"

Yashamaru sighed and hugged his sister, "At least you get to choose the suitor. That's a good thing, right?"

"Yeah," Karura grumbled, "unless Dad finds someone who he thinks suits me."

"You have to get married someday, Karura."

"Over my dead body."

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><p><strong>I'm sorry that it's so short. The next chapter will be up soon, I promise.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the songs at the beginning of each chapter.  
>AN: I know in the canon universe, everyone in Suna loves the Third Kazekage, but this is an AU universe. Oh, and I hate the Fourth Kazekage too. Was it obvious?  
>Enjoy the chapter!<strong>

_Riffraff, street rat, I don't buy that_  
><em>If only they'd look closer, would they see a poor boy?<em>  
><em>No siree<em>  
><em>They'd find out there's so much more to me...<em>  
><em>- <em>Disney's _Aladdin_

A figure hid in the shadows, calculating his moves quickly. He had to be stealthy, make sure no one saw him. His fingers lingered on the kunai pouch sitting on his leg.

"Three...two...one."

He quickly threw a number of shuriken at a nearby stall, watching as each weapon pierced the wooden stall. The stall owner - a man who looked new to the business - jumped, falling over in the process and knocking his stall over. Fruit came crashing down on the poor stall owner.

A smirked graced Baki's lips as the nearby stall owners rushed to help the new man up, leaving their own stalls unattented.

"Perfect."

Quickly yet quietly, Baki jumped in front of the stall and oh so carefully pushed some of the fruit into the bag he was carrying. He turned around, smirking as he glanced at the stall owners who were still helping the poor man up. Baki quickly moved on to the next stall.

"My stall!"

"Street rat!"

Baki growled as he saw the stall owners finally noticing him. He sprinted off on his heel, clutching the bag tightly to stop it from falling. The stall owners chased him through the village, calling out "Street rat!" and "Dirty little theif!" Baki cursed under his breath but a small grin graced his face as he saw a flash of blonde and a flash of red in the crowd. He whistled, waving with his spare hand as the two girls turned to face him.

"Kushina! Tsunade! Catch!" He threw the duffel bag to them, smirking as Kushina jumped up in the air and caught it in her arms. "Perfect! Kushina, run. Tsunade and I will handle everything here!"

Kushina sprinted off in one direction and before the stall owners could try to follow the girl, Tsunade and Baki blocked their path. The stall owners split up, some chasing Tsunade while some fought Baki.

Tsunade was not a dumb girl; she was strong and streetsmart, a perfect combination in her humble opinion. She could easily take these stall owners, but the thrill of the chase was too much fun! She smirked at them over her shoulder, sticking her tounge out at them. To her surprise, the stall owners smirked back. Tsunade turned to see what they were smirking at, and gasped as she was chased into an alleyway. She turned to face the stall owners, looking for an escape, but they surrounded her.

"You shouldn't have helped the street rat, girlie." One of them smirked. "Now you have nowhere to run."

She scoffed, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "You really think you can take me? Come on, give it your best shot. I'll let you have the first punch."

The stall owner growled, throwing a punch at the girl. At the last moment, she grabbed his wrist. Smirking, she twisted his arm and kicked him in the back of his leg, causing him to fall to his knees. She heard another stall owner sneak up behind her and so she quickly jumped up, bringing her foot down to deliver a swift kick to the man's face. He fell on top of the first stall owner, who was trying to get up. The weight of another person made him fall back down. The other two stall owners attacked Tsunade, but she just smirked. She'd already won this fight, and she didn't need to use any jutsu! The taller of the two stall owners tried to punch her, but she grabbed his fist. She spun him around. With control of his body gone, the stall owner could only mouth a 'sorry' to his companion, who had not moved out of the way in time and had been knocked onto the pile. Tsunade threw the final stall owner onto the pile, making the men all fall down. She delivered one final kick to the pile, making them fall back down onto the sandy floor. She jumped over the pile, smirking as the men laid on the floor.

"I didn't even need any jutsu to defeat you." She taunted. "I'm going to take my leave now, if you don't mind. Bye bye!"

And with that, the blonde girl ran off, leaving the grown men feeling embarrased.

Baki had held up in his fight just as well. Most of his opponents were already defeated, all but one.

"You're a pretty good fighter, street rat."

Baki smirked. "Thank you for the compliment, Hiroki. Your kind words inspire me so, but...I'm still going to kick your ass."

Hiroki growled and aimed a punch at Baki's face, but Baki swiftly ducked and moved out the way. Hiroki lost his balance temporarily, but soon found enough strength to aim another punch at him. Baki ducked and grabbed Hiroki's arm, tightening his hold on it. He twisted the arm, smirking as a pleasing whimper came from Hiroki. Baki kicked him powerfully, making him fall forward. At the same time, Tsunde appeared, delivering a kick to the man's head. He landed with a thud against a stall, causing it to fall on him.

"We make such a great team," Tsunade grinned. "Ready to go search for Uzumaki?"

Baki nodded. It didn't take long to find the little redhead. She held up another bag, a grin on her face.

"Thanks to you two casually beating the stall owners up," Kushina winked at Tsunade who chuckled, "I had time to get more food."

Tsunade smirked. "Heh, I think we should get going." She threw her arms around Kushina. "Let's go home!"

_'Home.'_

* * *

><p>"Baki!"<p>

"Baki's home!"

"Mama, Baki's back!"

Baki chuckled as a sea of children threw themselves around him, wrapping their arms around whatever body part they could. One girl clutched on to his neck, a little boy held onto his arm tightly and another child held onto his leg. Baki chuckled as he hugged the children back.

Tsunade, who was stood next to him, pouted. "Kushina and I don't get any love! Honestly, we shouldn't even..."

"Tsunade-nee-chan!"

The blonde fifteen year old was suddenly tackled to the floor by a seven year old boy. She chuckled, wrapping her arms around him protectively. "Hey Nawaki. How is my baby brother?"

Nawaki sent her a toothy grin, "I'm fine!"

Tsunade ruffled his hair, giggling.

A woman with long blue hair stepped into the doorway, chuckling at the scene. Baki was being surrounded by the younger children, Nawaki was chattering away to his sister, and Kushina was heading towards the cramped kitchen of the household to prepare the dinner.

"Welcome back, Baki." The woman smiled kindly, causing Baki to smile back at her.

"Hey Reiko."

Reiko sent him a warm smile before looking down at the little girl who was hiding behind her leg. "Aren't you going to say welcome Baki back, Haya-chan?"

Little Haya waved shyly as she hid behind her mother's leg. "W-Welcome ba-back, Baki-san."

Baki smiled as he watched his 'family'. They weren't his blood relatives but they were like a family to him. He'd been taken in by Reiko when he was only four, and had lived with her and the sea of children ever since. However, he had felt sorry for them all.

Each of them was born as nothing but civillians. They were seen as nothing but lesser beings. After all, they lived in a village where your social status deemed how worthy you were. Ninjas and people born into noble families were seen as better beings, while the civillians were forced to be mistreated by those nobles.

Baki had seen first hand the cruelty that his people received. Even little Haya had suffered! The nobles of the village would turn their noses up at the girl and call her a disgrace! She was only four, for crying out loud!

Nothing would change though. Baki's family and people would continue to suffer, just because they were different. And with that prick of a Kazekage in rule and his bastard of an advisor in line to take over, it would be like that for a long time.

Baki clenched his fist tightly as he thought of his Kazekage, Hiro. _'What an ironic name.' _Baki smirked. _'He's no hero.'_

The Third Kazekage had made all of the civillians suffer, and Rasa, his trusty advisor, didn't help either. They were the reason that Tsunade, Nawaki and Kushina had to flee from their village and join Sunagakure. They were the reason Baki had to steal to feed his family.

He would be surprised if the Kazekage actually cared about anyone other than himself and Rasa.


End file.
